Two US soldiers 'killed in action' in Jordan, Centcom says

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:27am

Sun 19 Jul 2026 at 5:27am

The US military has said two of its personnel were killed in Jordan and another was missing after an Iranian attack.

Iran's supreme leader said Washington would pay for "seeking to incite war" after a seventh straight night of US strikes.

The US and Iran have intensified attacks since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago fell apart last week, raising the possibility of a return to all-out war.

US Central Command said the two deaths occurred on Friday and that a third US service member was missing in action.

"On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command (CENTCOM) and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks," CENTCOM said in a statement on X.

"Four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. They have since been discharged. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty."

The announcement brings the number of US service members killed since the war began to 16, while more than 420 have been wounded.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X: "Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve."

Iran, responding to US attacks on bridges, power facilities and other infrastructure, appeared to target Saudi Arabia as well as other US Gulf allies and Jordan on Saturday.

In a written statement carried by the official social media accounts of Iran's supreme leader and Iranian state media, Mojtaba Khamenei said repeated US breaches of the interim deal had shown that President Donald Trump's signature was "utterly worthless and devoid of credibility".

"Now that the American enemy is seeking to escalate the conflict thereby incurring even heavier costs and further humiliation, it should know that the noble nation of Iran and the Resistance Front have unforgettable lessons in store for it," the statement said. Mr Khamenei's whereabouts remain a mystery.

The conflict, which began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran at the end of February hoping to disable its missile programme and its regional proxies, has led to major disruption to energy supplies, fears over global inflation and a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters